The Hunger Games Peeta's POV
by TheGirlONFireAmanda
Summary: :  desicription is in title! Please give me advice! will post chapter 2 on 1/22/11!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 (let me know what you think!)**

I wake up and smell fresh bread baking downstairs. Reaping day. The day I hate most in this world. I slowly dress my self and put on my canvas apron around my waist. Not long after I start kneading the dough, a Seam boy walks in. He has dark, straight hair and grey eyes. He towers over me, but I swell my chest up to seem even stockier than usual. After doing this I realize that this guy is Gale Hawthorne, the guy almost every girl in this godforsaken district likes, liked, or ever will like. I see him with Katniss a lot. Katniss. Katniss. Her name sends a spark of longing through me. She is a girl from the Seam as well… and all right, I'll admit it. Ever since the first day of school I haven't really been able to feel the same way ever since. When I heard her sing, I was a goner.

I snap back to reality. My father comes down the stairs just as I am about to ask him what he wants. My father gives a throaty laugh, "What do you have for me today Gale?" "Just a squirrel sir." My father gives him a loaf of bread in return for the squirrel. Not a very good exchange on my fathers part but he is always generous on reaping day. "Good luck Gale." my father calls after him. Gale says a thank you to my father and looks at me. "Good luck." He says curtly. I never could understand why he detests me so but I push the thought out of my mind but the idea still lingers a little.

The next few hours are a blur but I do find myself getting ready for the reaping. I hate today. I gently clench and unclench my fists telling myself I will be all right. I stand with all the other guys in the district. I notice Gale and Katniss gazing at each other but I just look away embarrassed that Katniss will notice me looking at her. Effie Trinket and her stupid bobbing hair takes the stage. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds ever be in your favor!" She says her usual "ladies first" and reaches into the ball. I start hoping it's no one I know. Delly, Madge, and, of course Katniss. When Effie reads the name from the little slip of paper, it's not the first name I recognize. It's the last._ "Primrose Everdeen."_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I allow myself to freely glance at Katniss's reaction. Her gray eyes that are so full of fire seem to freeze with coldness. I see Smolder delicately prop her up as she wavers backward. I snap my attention back to little Primrose. Shaking slightly as she walks up to the stage. Poor little girl. The crowd makes disapproving noises as she Prim passes. "Prim!" Katniss yells with much desperation in her voice. It seems to shatter my heart. Not just because I have had a lifelong crush on her, but just the fact that if one of my brothers would never do that for me. "Prim!" Katniss shouts again. She moves through the crowd. "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

Crap. I had a feeling she was going to do this. I stare at the ground, trying to tell myself that this doesn't matter to me. This shouldn't matter to me. Everyone whispers their thoughts of puzzlement while I stare at a caterpillar crawling by another boy's shoe. "Lovely!" says Effie Trinket. "But I believe there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and the asking for volunteers, and if one does come forth then we, um.." she trails off, trying to decide if this statement is right. "What does it matter?" says Mayor Undersee. I try to figure out if his tone as he says this means he cares or not. "What does it matter?" he repeats, "Let her come forward."

Primrose starts to shriek like crazy. She flings her arms around Katniss, clinging to her harshly. "No, Katniss! No! You can't go!" Katniss says something to her that I can't hear. Her eyes have frozen over again as if she is clinging to one thought for dear life. Gale has stepped forward now and picks Primrose up in his arms where she struggles frantically. He mutters something to Katniss and they lock eyes for a moment. I think I rolled my eyes because Delly suddenly shoots me a scolding look.

"Well, bravo!" Effie says as if someone just told her a juicy secret. "That's the spirit of the Games! What's your name?" Katniss looks pissed but then says her name. "Katniss Everdeen." Effie continues her prattling. "I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" _Yeah, Effie. Right after you said something insulting like that. We are going to all applaud._ Not one person does. Quite suddenly everyone is doing our salute to Katniss. I do it too. But my salute is more of a kiss goodbye. She will never know now of my feelings for her. I shake my head gently to clear it.

As I do this, I see Haymitch come across the stage. "Look at her. Look at this one!" He shouts at us, putting an arm around Katniss's shoulders. "I like her! Lots of ….Spunk! More than you!" he says and starts to go to the front of the stage. "More than you!" He yells into the cameras and falls off the stage. When they get him on a stretcher, I sneak a glance at Gale's face. He looks composed but his eyes are glassy, like he is about to cry. I stare at the ground. I don't really worry about reapings anymore. I know I will never be picked. "What an exciting day!" Effie says as she tries to fix her hair, "But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" I let my mind wander on what kind of cake I could bake for Prim and , maybe one decorated with Katniss blossoms, when suddenly I hear, "Peeta Mellark." being called out in a Capitol accent. Then I realize my worst nightmare has come true.

I am the boy tribute for District 12.


	3. Chapter 3

I walk to the stage slowly. Struggling to remain emotionless. _This is not happening, clench, this is not happening, unclench. _Katniss looks at me pitifully, almost sadly. I tell myself that she is going to try to kill me soon, and I have to be cautious, but some subconscious part of me thinks she doesn't want too. Effie asks for volunteers, and of course, there isn't any. Katniss, quite abruptly, stares off into the distance at the hills. While the mayor goes on about the Dark Days, I take this time to process what just happened. I lock my jaw and start worrying about everything: my family, the bakery, my friends, and, not to surprisingly. Katniss.

What will happen to my sanity if I have to go and kill her? I probably won't. The 22 other tributes will. My eyes flicker over to her and take in her physical appearance for the first time today. Katniss is wearing a nice, but simple blue dress and her long dark brown hair in a braided bun. The sun falls on her olive-colored skin, making it golden and bringing out small red highlights on the top of her head. Those fierce gray eyes of hers are still staring out into nowhere.

I wonder what she is thinking about but then slowly stare at my father and brothers' horrified expressions. A silent conversation is passed between me and my father. _Protect the girl. _Of course I will. _I will take care of her family. _I discreetly nod to him. Before I know it, the Mayor is asking us to shake hands. Katniss' hand is soft, but scarred and brings an electric current through me. I squeeze it gently to let her know I won't hurt her but she has a wall around her that I know will be hard to blow up.


	4. Chapter 4

I suddenly find myself sitting in a room that is practically covered in velvet. As I try to remember what just happened, the doors burst open. My parents burst in. Well, more like my mother storms in with my father walking silently behind her. My mother starts shouting horrid things at me because I did absolutely nothing. She goes on and on about how the bakery is going to suffer, while my father just stares at me with concern, until my mother falls silent. We turn to look at her. "Well, I guess District 12 is finally going to have a winner." She says. "She's a survivor, that one."

Katniss. I know she is a survivor, even my own mother thinks I'm not going to win. I am positive I won't. I just stare at the ground and don't even respond to mother's comment. She throws something at my feet and stomps out of the room. I look at my father, who I am surprised to see is crying. A Peacekeeper walks in and tells him that is time to go. My father and I stand up and he wraps me in a tight embrace. "Protect her." He whispers into my ear. "Always." Is the last thing I say to my father before the Peacekeepers close the door.

The next people to show up are my brothers. Rye and Crêpen stare at me for a long time. After a bit of awkward silence, Crêpen cracks a small mischievous smile and says, "So… Katniss huh?" I give him a dark look. Rye hits him on the back of head. "He's about to go into the arena to die and you bring up that his fricken' girlfriend is going to go in there with him?" "Thanks for the support guys," I snap at them. After a few moments of more awkward silence they leave with some quick embraces and a few, "Good luck bro,"s.

My next visitor is very surprising. It's Delly Cartwright. She's been a good friend of mine, ever since we were little, but I never thought of us as close. She starts speaking very fast and very urgently. "Peeta, I really want you to know that I believe in you, and you are an amazing friend!" I think I just said thank you very awkwardly but she suddenly attacks me with a hug. I mean, I've hugged her before but this was kind of weird. Like she was clinging to me. Then she just gives me a peck on the cheek and runs out the door…

Suddenly the door bursts open…..AGAIN! _Please just leave me alone… _I am flabbergasted to see…Gale? Gale Hawthorne is here to see… me? He doesn't say anything but rushes in with a small piece of paper which he lays on a table walks out, slamming the door behind him. I open it carefully to find 3 words shakily written:

Please Help Her.


	5. Chapter 5

I just stare blindly at the words Gale had scrawled on the small sheet of paper. I will try! Must everyone think I will become a ruthless killer and won't? I suddenly remember the package my mother had thrown at my feet and I gently pick up the small parcel. Its a loaf of bread, but I lift the pastry to find a picture. It's a sloppy one, probably drawn by a five-year-old. It's pretty old and crumpled looking.I see a boy and a girl. The boy is holding a loaf of bread with one hand and holding the girls hand in the other. The girls hair is what looks like 2 braids and she is singing. I suddenly realize what this picture is of and I crumple it up and throw it into a trashbin. Of course my mother would want to bring up those rediculous memories.

no more. I must not be attached to them, or my life here. I know will die in the arena, but I promise myself i will die honorably, more than just a piece in the Capitols stupid game. I will make sure Katniss lives, make sure she will get the life she deserves, ensure that she will forever stay a survivor. How to do this... I'm not sure.

it takes me a few moments to figure out I have been crying this whole time. I brush the tears away but I know it's no use. Everyone will know I have been crying so why bother? The Peacekeepers come in to tell me it's time to leave I walk out to find Katniss staring at the cameras appearing to be bored. At least she was smart enough to not cry. Her eyes briefly train on my face and the flames in her eyes cool with signs of then they quickly freeze into boredom.

once we are on the train I feel slightly sick at the little it's moving at. I ask Effie for some chamomile tea for motion sickness. She tells me to go back to my room and that a server will bring it to me as if I am five years old. I really would prefer to get it myself. I hate the idea of people waiting on me, these people probably have no choice too. I sip the tea and my stomach returns to normal. I jump in the shower real quickly. It was easy, since I have taken showers before but this one was actually warm. It seemed to wash away some of today's drama away but hardly. I hear Effie knocking at my door as I get dressed, telling me it's time for dinner. When I've finished , I walk out the door with a heavy sigh.


End file.
